How to deal with fear.
Alex Honnold's "textbook approach to dealing with fear:"
Alex Honnold's "textbook approach to dealing with fear:"
Neuroscientists performed an fMRI and concluded that Honnold’s brain abnormally responds to fear.
“I find that irritating,” he said, “I’ve spent 25 years conditioning myself to work in extreme conditions.”
Here's 10 things I've learned from Honnold about how to deal with fear:
“I find that irritating,” he said, “I’ve spent 25 years conditioning myself to work in extreme conditions.”
Here's 10 things I've learned from Honnold about how to deal with fear:
1/ Expand your comfort zone
Before Alex Honnold climbed El Capitan—a 3,000-ft rock wall in Yosemite—without a rope,
"I'd drive into Yosemite, look at the wall, and think, 'No way. Too scary.'"
So he climbed El Cap ~50 times with a rope "to gradually expand [my] comfort zone."
Before Alex Honnold climbed El Capitan—a 3,000-ft rock wall in Yosemite—without a rope,
"I'd drive into Yosemite, look at the wall, and think, 'No way. Too scary.'"
So he climbed El Cap ~50 times with a rope "to gradually expand [my] comfort zone."
2/ Reframe
Dr. @LFeldmanBarrett has built a body of evidence behind the idea that we can choose how we frame and interpret emotions.
As Honnold puts it, "You can reframe, 'Oh my God, I'm scared' into, 'Wow. I am on right now...I'm excited...I'm about to perform."
Dr. @LFeldmanBarrett has built a body of evidence behind the idea that we can choose how we frame and interpret emotions.
As Honnold puts it, "You can reframe, 'Oh my God, I'm scared' into, 'Wow. I am on right now...I'm excited...I'm about to perform."
3/ Prepare, prepare, prepare
Fear and preparation are inversely proportional, Honnold says.
The level of fear "depends [on] the level of preparation," he says.
"If something seems really scary, I either put in more time preparing or I just don't do it."
Fear and preparation are inversely proportional, Honnold says.
The level of fear "depends [on] the level of preparation," he says.
"If something seems really scary, I either put in more time preparing or I just don't do it."
4/ Reflect
Honnold has a climbing journal. Since 2005, after every climb, he sits with the journal, and reflects on what he did well and what he could have done better.
@SahilBloom captured it perfectly: experience + reflection = growth:
Honnold has a climbing journal. Since 2005, after every climb, he sits with the journal, and reflects on what he did well and what he could have done better.
@SahilBloom captured it perfectly: experience + reflection = growth:
5/ Eliminate doubt
Before free soloing El Cap, Honnold visually rehearsed every hand and foot movement over and over until…
“I had 3,000 feet of climbing memorized.”
"Doubt is the precursor to fear," he said, "I had to visualize and rehearse enough to remove all doubt."
Before free soloing El Cap, Honnold visually rehearsed every hand and foot movement over and over until…
“I had 3,000 feet of climbing memorized.”
"Doubt is the precursor to fear," he said, "I had to visualize and rehearse enough to remove all doubt."
6/ Distance self-talk
Honnold is a master of what @ethan_kross calls the art of "distanced self-talk."
Honnold coaches himself through fear—"I [say to] myself, 'you’re afraid. You're breathing too quickly...time to reset. Relax your grip a little. Take a breath. Start again.'"
Honnold is a master of what @ethan_kross calls the art of "distanced self-talk."
Honnold coaches himself through fear—"I [say to] myself, 'you’re afraid. You're breathing too quickly...time to reset. Relax your grip a little. Take a breath. Start again.'"
7/ Control the controllables
Before he soloed it, Honnold & his friend spent a day climbing El Cap, filling backpacks with loose rocks.
"It felt silly, but it had to get done," Honnold said. "I needed everything to feel perfect if I was going to climb the route without a rope."
Before he soloed it, Honnold & his friend spent a day climbing El Cap, filling backpacks with loose rocks.
"It felt silly, but it had to get done," Honnold said. "I needed everything to feel perfect if I was going to climb the route without a rope."
8/ Be certain of your abilities
"The best strategy," Honnold says, "is a well-founded confidence that you can do the thing that you’re trying to do...You have to absolutely know on a physical and rational level that [what] you’re attempting is well within your abilities."
"The best strategy," Honnold says, "is a well-founded confidence that you can do the thing that you’re trying to do...You have to absolutely know on a physical and rational level that [what] you’re attempting is well within your abilities."
9/ Don't be afraid to back down
When Honnold first attempted El Cap, ~900ft up, he felt uncomfortable.
"It was cold and I didn’t trust my feet," he said.
"There's no pressure to perform," he says. "If I feel at all uncomfortable, I back down."
When Honnold first attempted El Cap, ~900ft up, he felt uncomfortable.
"It was cold and I didn’t trust my feet," he said.
"There's no pressure to perform," he says. "If I feel at all uncomfortable, I back down."
10/ Really want it
"Maybe the most important thing is a true desire," Honnold says. Desire can crowd out fear.
“I think that the unique thing isn’t my ability to solo, I think the unique thing is really wanting to."
"Maybe the most important thing is a true desire," Honnold says. Desire can crowd out fear.
“I think that the unique thing isn’t my ability to solo, I think the unique thing is really wanting to."
TL;DR
@AlexHonnold's 10 strategies for dealing with fear:
@AlexHonnold's 10 strategies for dealing with fear:
For more, I recommend:
Alex Honnold on @AdamMGrant's podcast (podcasts.apple.com)
The documentary "Free Solo" (films.nationalgeographic.com @jimkchin)
"Alone on the Wall" by Honnold and David Roberts (amazon.com)
Alex Honnold on @AdamMGrant's podcast (podcasts.apple.com)
The documentary "Free Solo" (films.nationalgeographic.com @jimkchin)
"Alone on the Wall" by Honnold and David Roberts (amazon.com)
amazon.com/Alone-Wall-Ale…
Alone on the Wall
Alone on the Wall
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how…
‎WorkLife with Adam Grant: How free solo climber Alex Honnold faces fear on Apple Podcasts
‎Show WorkLife with Adam Grant, Ep How free solo climber Alex Honnold faces fear - Sep 20, 2022
films.nationalgeographic.com/free-solo
Free Solo
Free solo climber Alex Honnold prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: scaling Yosemite's 3,200-foot...
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